Window shade mounting brackets



Nov. 29, 1955 M. c. KIRKHAM 2,725,098

WINDOW SHADE MOUNTING BRACKETS Filed Nov. 28, 1951 INVENTOR. MY0IY C. /\///QKH/7M ATTOENE I5 United States Patent WINDOW SHADE MOUNTING BRACKETS Myron C. Kirkham, Seattle, Wash.

Application November 28, 1951, Serial No. 258,629 1 Claim. Cl. 160-4 1) This invention relates to window shade brackets and it has reference more particularly to what are generally referred to as double-hung brackets; that is, brackets designed for the mounting of two window shade rollers in close, parallel relationship, permitting the shades to be extended or drawn out therefrom in an upward and in a downward direction respectively and which will assist to some extent in the movement of shades as wound onto their rollers.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide shade mounting brackets that are practical in design, easy to apply and which, to maximum extent, will avoid wearing or fraying the edges of the shades and damage to the slat hem.

It is also an object of this invention to provide shade mounting brackets in pairs, and each bracket comprising but a single piece of flat sheet metal, or the like, adapted to be aflixed to a support in various ways to meet diflerent modes of applying the shades.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide paired brackets of the character and having the advantages above recited, which are designed to serve additionally for'the mounting of light shields, and which further provide for the use therewith of present day, commonly used roller mounting socket plates which can be readily applied, and can be easily removed for replacement should they become worn.

It is also an object to provide brackets of the character and for the purpose above stated that are relatively inexpensive and require little labor for their installation.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the details of the bracket blank and the relationship of its parts, and in the mode of use of paired brackets, as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is an elevation, illustrating the functional relationship of paired shade mounting brackets embodied by the present invention for the mounting of shade rollers and a light shielding strip.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the brackets and shades as seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a face view of a die stamped metal blank as formed in the making of a bracket embodying the features of this invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the formed brackets with roller supporting socket plates applied thereto.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5--5 in Fig. 1, but indicating the shade rollers is dotted lines.

Referring more in detail to the drawings The present shade mounting brackets are made in pairs, each pair comprising a right side and a left side bracket, for the support, respectively, of the opposite ends of two shade rollers, and a cross-strip serving as a light shield. The brackets comprised in each pair are alike in size, shape and all other respects except as required to make them applicable to the jambs or casings at opposite sides of a window frame, or the like, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the right side and left side brackets are designated, respectively, by reference numerals 10 and 10a; the two shade rollers are designated respectively by numerals 11 and 11a, and the light shielding cross-strip is designated by numeral 12. The brackets, as generally used, are applied at opposite sides of a Window to the jamb surfaces which are designated at 14-14. However, they may also be applied to the casings as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Each bracket is made from a single piece of flat sheet material, preferably metal; it being blanked out or die stamped from a sheet of material to the form shown in Fig. 3 wherein the blank is designated in its entirety by numeral 15.

The main body portion of the blank 15 is rectangular and it is formed along one vertical edge, thereof, referred to as its inner edge, with a flange 16. In a practical size, for ordinary uses, the body of the blank as observed in Fig. 3 is about two and one-fourth inches wide and about four and one-half inches high. The flange 16 is about one-half inch wide and terminating at its ends about one-half inch from the top and lower edges of the blank. The blank is also formed, adjacent its top and lower edges respectively, with partially detached and rather elongated ears 18 and 18', these being defined in the plate by vertically directed U-shaped cuts 1919. These ears, as well as the flange 16, are adapted to be bent outwardly to positions perpendicular to the plane of the body portion of the plate. When so bent, the cars will extend substantially at the level of the top and lower ends of the flange 16. The line along which the flange 16 is bent in the formation of the bracket is designated at 16x and the lines on which the ears 18-48 are outwardly bent are designated at 19x.

The blank 15 is formed in its medial body portion with a wing or flange 20 that is set off or defined by a cut-out slot 21 that extends along the top, inside and bottom edges of the flange, as best shown in Fig. 3.

In the forming of the bracket from the blank as thus prepared, the flanges 16 and 20 are bent directly forward and toward each other, perpendicular to the body of the plate. The line on which the flange 20 is outwardly bent is indicated at 20x.

Formed across the top and lower edge portions of the blank, are horizontally extending and transversely rounded ribs 22--22. These project beyond those surfaces of the brackets, which are adjacent the ends of the mounted shades, and serve as guides against which the edge portions of the shades may on occasions engage when being wound onto or from the rollers as presently will be explained.

To provide for the convenient and satisfactory securernent of the brackets'in position of use, I provide each blank 15 with holes 25--25, located in the upper and lower portions of the flange 16, and provide vertically spaced holes 26-26 in the body portion of the blank above and below the slot 21. I also form a hole 27 through flange 20 to receive a screw therethrough, as at 28 in Fig. l, for holding the light shield 12 in place.

Formed through the blank 15, adjacent the edge that is opposite that from which the flange 16 is turned, are upper and lower pairs of vertically aligned holes 2929 and 3030. These are provided for the reception of rivets, or the like for the attachment of the commonly used roller mounting socket plates. These comprise short plates 32 formed in their opposite end portions with holes adapted to register with the paired holes 29-29 or 30-30 to receive the securing rivets 35. One plate 32 as applied to each bracket would have a round hole 36 to receive the pivot pin at the end of a shade roller while the other plate 32 would have the usual rectangular hole 37 with laterally opening channel 38 to receive the rectangular end head of the spring rod at the end of the other shade roller.

Assuming the brackets 10 and 10a to be so made, their mode of application and use would be as follows:

The brackets generally are applied to jamb surfaces 14-14 at opposite sides of a window frame as in Fig. 2, and secured by screws passed through the holes 2626 and threaded into the jamb face as indicated. In some instances of use, it is found desirable or necessary to apply the brackets to the outer faces of the window casings, as in positions as indicated in dotted lines at 110 and 110a in Fig. 2. In such latter place of application, the bracket flanges 16 are placed flatly against the casings and are secured by screws passed through the holes 25-25 in flanges 16 and threaded into the casings prior to securement of the brackets to the jambs, the cars 18 or 18' of each bracket are bent outwardly to receive the opposite end portions of the light shielding strip 12 can be received between them as applied between the flanges 16 and 20. The light shielding strip preferably is a fiat slat of soft wood, cut to the length required to span the distance between the brackets and having a vertical width substantially equal to the vertical extent of the flanges 16. Its longitudinal corner edges are rounded as seen in Fig. 5 to avoid damage to and wear on the hem end of the shade.

After the brackets have thus been applied and secured as in Fig. 1, and the cross slat 12 seated in place, the shade rollers 11 and 11a are applied in the usual way by seating their end pivots in the socket plates 32. The upper shade is adapted to be drawn upwardly, and the lower shade drawn downwardly as indicated by the dotted line showing in Fig. 5.

It is shown in Fig. 5 that the longitudinal, side edges of the roller shades may engage in guiding contact with the rounded guide ribs 2222 if the shade is caused to get out of alignment while being wound onto or from the rollers. The rounded ribs avoid wear on or fraying of the edges of the shade.

Shade mounting brackets of this kind, used principally in windows of schools, factories and commercial buildings, not only are practical for the mounting of the shade rollers, but also so mount the light shields that light can not shine through between the rollers.

The brackets can be applied either to the faces of the jambs or to faces of casings and thus permit shades to be used in different ways.

The brackets are relatively inexpensive, easy to apply or remove and will last indefinitely.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

Paired, right and left double hung window shade brackets of the character described; each bracket comprising a flat metal plate adapted for fixed securement flatly against a support jamb and formed along its inner vertical edge with a flange turned inwardly at a right angle to the plate, a second flange struck outwardly from the plate body, spaced from and parallel to the first flange to mount the end portion of a light shielding slat between them, ears struck outwardly from the plate to engage the top and bottom edges of the end of a slat as mounted between said flanges; pintle sockets fixed to the inner face of the plate near its top and bottom edges, and spaced substantially from the said slot mounting flanges for the mounting of the ends of shade rollers between the paired brackets, and outwardly rounded ribs formed in and horizontally across the said plate adjacent the upper and lower edges as protective guides for the edges of shades when wound onto and from rollers supported by said brackets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 934,661 Pagan Sept. 21, 1909 1,379,663 Tomasulo May 31, 1921 1,557,576 Force Oct. 20, 1925 1,748,373 White Feb. 25, 1930 2,049,471 Reilly Aug. 4, 1936 2,238,196 Tyler Apr. 15, 1941 

